They’re not the Wayne State Warriors of the past, but the current crop of players at Wayne State is paving the way for another winning tradition in Detroit.
After graduating 12 players who started up the program back in 1999, the 2003-2004 WSU team has 14 freshmen and only a handful of upperclassmen. But that group came up big Thursday night and beat Findlay in a non-conference affair, 3-2, that saw Wayne State raise their 2002-2003 CHA championship banner to the rafters of the Compuware Sports Arena before the game.
Junior Nathan Rosychuk’s power-play goal in the second period stood as the game-winner.
“We finally got set-up on the power play and John May did a lot of work down low,” explained Rosychuk. “Somehow I got the puck on my stick and got off a quick wrist shot. I didn’t think that goal would win it, but both goalies played great and we came into the third period with a lot of confidence.”
Wayne State (1-0-2, 0-0-0 CHA) got out to a 2-0 lead in a ten-second span in the first period. First, freshman Jason Baclig, a prolific scorer in juniors, scored his first collegiate goal off a scramble in front of UF goalie and USCHO.com Defensive Player of the Week Jon Horrell. Then sophomore Derek MacKay scored on a bang-bang play off the ensuing faceoff.
On MacKay’s goal, senior Chris Vail’s initial shot clanged off the post, but MacKay corralled the rebound and tucked it past Horrell.
Rigel Shaw and Chris Wellar scored late in the period for the Oilers (1-2-0, 0-0-0 CHA). Shaw’s tally was a great individual effort. His first shot hit Wayne State senior co-captain Nick Stodgell in the leg, caromed back to Shaw, who deked Kelly and slid it past him.
The mood in the WSU locker room after the game was one of smiles and optimism, yet the team is aware this is only the third game of the season. And the freshmen aren’t playing like first-year skaters.
“We may have a lot of freshmen, but they’re all good players,” said WSU head coach Bill Wilkinson. “I was never concerned about winning, but it is nice to get the first win and out of the way early.”
Warriors sophomore goalie Matt Kelly made 28 saves for his first win of the year in what Wilkinson called “a gutty effort.”
“These guys are so gung-ho right now,” Kelly said. “The chemistry here is awesome. We don’t know a whole lot about the freshmen, but we hang out and bond all the time and find time to catch up.”
Horrell stopped 28 shots in the loss.
Wayne State is off until Oct. 24 when they venture to Findlay for the second part of the staggered home-and-home non-conference series. The teams meet four more times after next weekend in CHA play.
“I think all the teams in our league this year match up extremely well,” Wilkinson added, noting the fact Findlay beat Michigan State last weekend. “No game in the CHA this year is a free two points.”
